Promises
by QuinntheEskimo
Summary: A promise made is a promise kept, even if its a promise made in a past life. And from the moment Axel sees Roxas, a promise of 200 years ago begins to work its magic. Reno and Cloud, Axel and Roxas. AU, Yaoi. For Amanda.


Summary- a promise made is a promise kept, even if its a promise made in a past life. And from the moment Axel sees Roxas, a promise of 200 years ago begins to work its magic. Reno and Cloud, Axel and Roxas. AU, Yaoi. For Amanda.

AN- Hey y'all! I'm back again! I seem to keep disappearing from the planet for a while, but don't worry, I always come back.

This story was inspired by my fabulous friend Amanda (AKA mahigan699 here on ffdotnet), who mentioned the idea of Reno and Cloud being Axel and Roxas in past lives. The idea fascinated me and morphed into... this.

So this is for a Amanda. Cause she's awesome.

By the way, italics means 1812, standard font means 2012. just so we're clear.

Warnings- violence/character death, the occasional swear word... nothing serious, kiddies. don't worry :)

Disclaimers- Reno, Cloud, Axel, Roxas... none of them belong to me. Clearly. There would be a lot more making out in KH and FF if they did.

Please pardon any glaring grammatical errors. This probably should have been beta-ed, but alas, I do not have a beta to call my own. Anyone willing to volunteer, let me know! :D

Happy Reading!

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August 12, 1812- Twilight Town

"_Reno Sinclair, ye have been found guilty of witchcraft before this court, and are condemned to burn at the stake."_

_The redhead stood tall and proud, letting no emotion escape. But I could tell. He was terrified. _

_He didn't want to die._

_But he was willing to die for me._

_This was all my fault._

Oh, Reno, I'm so sorry. I love you.

_I stood at the door of the courthouse as my own family condemned him, and I could do nothing. _

"_Don't worry, love. We'll meet again. I promise." Reno had said.. _

_I could only hope that he was right. That our love would not die here, in flames, but that it would live on, to be reunited one day._

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August 13, 2012- Twilight Town

Axel Sinclair walked through the Sandlot like he owned the place. And truly, as the towns top Struggle player three years running, he kinda did.

Also, being one of the oldest families in Twilight Town did help. The Sinclair's had been here as long as the town itself had been. And the towns people were old fashioned. Old names meant something here.

He walks over to the struggle court, watching Seifer and Hayner battle it out, like always. The two just seemed to have a mutual hatred of each other. Axel sat down next to Demyx on the sidelines.

"How many rounds so far?" the redhead asked his best friend.

"Six," replied the blonde musician, never looking up from the guitar he was strumming. Demyx brought the damn thing everywhere, it was practically permanently attached to his hands. "And they don't show any signs of stopping soon."

"Bah. I wanted to get a fight in, but not if they're gonna monopolize the ring." Axel grumped. He reclined back on his hands, looking around at who else was there.

Seifer's two buddies, Rai the ape and Fuu the mute, stood off to one side, watching the battle with disinterest. They were just as sick of it as everyone else. Hayner's best friends, Pence and Olette, sat under an awning opposite from Rai and Fuu, talking animatedly and ignoring the struggle match altogether.

As Axel peered around, he noticed someone walk down from one of the alleyways, looking around. A short blonde kid that Axel didn't know. Which was new, because Axel knew everyone in this town.

The blonde came further into the sandlot, looking at everything. Then he looked straight at Axel.

As soon as the kids blue eyes his green, Axel was enveloped in visions of flames.

Flames, and bright blue eyes, filled with tears.

It broke his heart.

Axel had no idea how long he was lost in the vision, but when he came back to himself, the kid was kneeling on the ground beside him.

He looked at Axel strangely, and whispered "Reno?"

Axel's eyes shot wide. He stood up, grabbed the blonde by the wrist, and said "Lets go."

The kid gave no resistance as he led the way out of the sandlot and into the woods outside of town, leaving a bewildered Demyx to stare after them.

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As soon as they are far enough into the woods to not be heard, Axel turned to the blonde. "Who are you? And why did you call me Reno?"

The blonde stared up at him, his blue eyes filled with confusion and worry. "I'm Roxas. Roxas Strife. I just moved here. And as for your other question... I don't know. It just seemed right."

Axel gaped at Roxas for a second. "What is your name, anyways? Its not actually Reno, is it?"

Axel looked away for a second. "Its my middle name, actually. I'm Axel Reno Sinclair." Axel swallowed hard. "Did you... did you see anything?" when the blonde didn't answer immediately, Axel turned a little red and looked away again. "I mean, I just-"

"I saw a man that looked like you, burning to death. It terrified me. And for some reason, it made me unbelievably sad." Roxas stated monotone.

Axel's eyes snapped back. "I... I saw your eyes. Through the flames. I saw your eyes, and you were crying." Axel took a deep breath. "What is going on here?" he wondered aloud.

"I don't know." the blonde responded frankly. "But there's definitely a weird connection happening here."

Axel looked at Roxas for a moment, and then, he held out his hands. He didn't question it. It seemed odd, but it just... it just seemed right. The blonde looked up at him, and then, tentatively, put his hands in his.

The moment their hands touched, they were lost in the past

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_Cloud looked out towards the field, just waiting. Every evening, the redhead came in, sweaty, and not wearing a shirt. And every evening, Cloud waited, just to see him. Because truly, Reno shirtless was a sight to behold._

_Cloud knew his thoughts were sinful, that he should pray and cleanse his soul... but honestly, it didn't feel wrong. His... unnatural attraction to the red-haired farmhand just felt... right._

"_Now, Mr. Strife, I keep meaning to ask you a question." Cloud was startled; he'd been lost in thought, for so long,that he didn't even notice Reno approach him."why does a Judges son always appear here, waiting for the harvesters to come in, just to leave as soon as I show up? 'Tis odd, to be true." the redhead asked._

_Cloud just stood there, unable to speak. He hadn't realized Reno had noticed him._

"_is it possibly..." Reno swallowed hard. "is it possible you have some... feelings for me, Mr. Strife?" the redhead asked tentatively._

"_I... I'm... I just..." Cloud stuttered. Was he so obvious? If Reno noticed, had anyone else? Cloud was suddenly terrified. If anyone knew of his attraction, it could mean the stocks- even a hanging, if they suspected them of any inappropriate actions-_

"_Don't worry, Mr. Strife, nobody notices but me. And honestly... I wasn't sure... but I had to know, because I..." Reno looked frightened. "I feel the same."_

_Cloud looked Reno straight in the eyes for the first time. It occurred to him just how dangerous for Reno that question could have been. He'd certainly taken a gamble. if he'd been wrong, if Cloud had not returned the feelings... that question could have been his hanging writ._

"_Call me Cloud." the blonde said in a small voice. "Not Mr. Strife." he looked away, gathered his courage, and then looked back. "Meet me at midnight, here. We have much to …..speak about." _

_Cloud turned to head home, but not so quickly that he didn't catch Reno's grin._

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_As soon as he could, Reno escaped his house t go meet Cloud. It wasn't even nearly midnight, but he couldn't just sit around. He was to excited. He had been terrified when he had talked to cloud, knowing how dangerous his question was, but he couldn't wait any more. He had been fascinated with the blonde for years. _

_He stood under the trees, waiting for cloud to arrive. To his surprise, the blonde was there shortly after he was. "you could not wait either." Reno stated. _

_Cloud looked up into Reno's eyes. "No, I... just..." cloud cleared his throat. "Follow me." he said as he walked into the woods._

_Reno smiled as he followed the blonde deeper into the forest surrounding twilight town. _

_Cloud brought him to a small clearing, where he finally turned around and looked at Reno. "I... um... I wished to... I just..." Cloud stuttered nervously. Reno thought it was sweet._

"_Tis okay, Cloud. We're okay. don't be scared." Reno whispered as he stepped closer to the blonde. Cloud just stood there, letting Reno come closer. When the redhead tentatively wrapped his arms around Cloud, the blonde still stood there. But he didn't push him away, either. Reno supposed that was a good sign._

_The redhead pulled him close. Cloud slowly leaned into the embrace, putting his arms around Reno shyly. Reno smiled and buried his head in Clouds hair. The blonde snuggled in closer, finally becoming comfortable._

"_I don't understand it, Reno..." Cloud said, his voice muffled by Reno's shirt. "this isn't... it isn't natural. Father Ansem says its a sin. But I... I feel like..." _

"_You feel this is just too right to possibly be a sin." Reno stated._

_Cloud pulled back a little, just enough to be able to look at him, his mouth just inches from Reno's own. "Yes." he said simply._

"_I feel the same..." Reno replied gently._

_Cloud and Reno looked into each others eyes, unsure, scared, yet feeling the same pull towards each other. Neither was sure who actually initiated the kiss. They just moved together simultaneously. Their lips met in a sweet, chaste kiss. _

_Neither had ever imagined a moment so perfect._

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_the days passed slowly, and Reno and cloud met every night that they could, in their little clearing in the woods. The days turned to weeks, the weeks to months. Their relationship grew slowly, but more passionate with every meeting. Cloud fell in love with Reno more with every passing day._

_But at the same time, there were terrible things going on in Twilight Town. _

_A witch hunt had been started. _

_Just last week, Rinoa Leonheart, a sweet woman, if a little headstrong, wife of the town blacksmith, had been accused of witchcraft. The whole town was in an uproar. Her own parents had turned against her, fearing public shame more than losing their only daughter. Her trial had been swift and merciless. Judge Strife, Clouds own father, had found her guilty, and ordered her to be burned. _

_Then is was Aerith Fair, accused after she stood up for Rinoa. She'd been burned the next day, along with her husband, Zack, who dared to defend his wife._

_Tifa Lockheart had been arrested yesterday. Tifa, the very girl that Cloud was supposed to be courting. Her trial was set for tomorrow._

_Cloud was terrified. He feared for his own life, and especially for Reno. _

_When they met that night, when Reno pulled him into his arms, cloud shook with fear._

"_T'will will be alright, my love. I promise."_

"_You cannot promise that, Reno! What if they find out! We'll be burned at the stake!" cloud whispered feverishly._

"_Then let us leave. Find a new place, where we can be together forever." Reno said fervently. Cloud shook his head._

" _Whereabouts do you suppose we go, Reno? 'Tis madness to consider it."_

_Reno cast his eyes down. "I know, Cloud. But I cannot help it. I just... I love you so much. I don't want anything to hurt you..." _

_Cloud calmed down and pulled Reno close. "I know, love. I feel the same..." he kissed his lover gently._

_There came an angry shout from behind them. "CLOUD STRIFE! WHAT IS THIS...THIS... THIS DEVILRY!"_

_They tore apart to see Judge Strife himself, followed closely by Father Ansem, and Mr. Shinra, Reno's employer._

"_What have you done to my son, you demon!" the judge demanded, kicking Reno hard in the ribs, knocking the wind from him._

"_Father, no! Don't hurt him!" cloud cried out. He tried to reach for him, but Mr. Shinra grabbed hold of him._

"_T'will be alright, Cloud. Reno has you under a bedevilment. We shall cure you of it soon enough, my boy." _

"_No! Please, let me go! Reno!" he cried, struggling against the farmers grip._

_Reno just smiled sadly at his lover. "Don't worry, love. We'll meet again. I promise."_

"_Not if I have anything to say about it!" Judge Strife roared. "You'll be burned, you witch! Mark my words!"_

_As they two were dragged away, Cloud to his home, Reno to the jail, all Cloud could do was cry._

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_The very next day, the trial begins. Its a mockery of a trial, truly, because the judge has already found him guilty. Reno stood his ground, and never once denied the claims of the judge or the priest as they accused him of bewitching Cloud. _

_Reno couldn't. Because if he did, he would get his blonde lover in trouble, perhaps even burned as well. And he couldn't bear the thought of Cloud dying too. _

_So as much as Cloud screamed and begged, it just cemented in his fathers mind that he was bespelled. Reno stood, tall and calm, as his sentence was announced._

"_Reno Sinclair, ye have been found guilty of witchcraft before this court, and are condemned to burn at the stake."_

_He calmly walked along behind his own employer, not saying a word. Mr. Shinra just glared at him._

_He stood, poised and proud, as he was tied to the stake. And until he could no longer bear it, he kept silent. _

_He was willing to do this much, at least, for Cloud._

_His very last sight, before the fire consumed him completely, was Cloud, tears falling from his beautiful blue eyes._

_His last thoughts were for only him. _I promise you, love. We shall meet again. I promise.

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_Cloud stood in the clearing, where he and Reno had fallen in love, where they had looked up at the stars, where they had talked for hours, where they had first made love... the memories of the place suffocated him. He sat on rock at the edge of the clearing,and stared unseeing into the trees._

_The witch hunt was over. Reno was the last one to burn. _

_But Cloud could not stay in this town any longer._

_Not when Reno wasn't there._

"_Reno..." he whispered as he looked to the sky."i promise you, love. I will love you and no one else for the rest of my life. I promise, that after this life is over, I will wait for you, for forever if I have to, till we can meet again."_

_Cloud picked up his satchel and began to walk far, far away from Twilight Town._

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Suddenly as it started, the visions end. Axel and Roxas both fell to their knees, breathless. The sun has almost gone down while they were lost in trance.

When they could breath again, they looked at each other.

"We..."

"You're..."

"Cloud..."

"Reno..."

They looked at each other, knowing, finally, why all their lives, they'd felt like something was missing.

Neither was sure who actually initiated the kiss. They just moved together simultaneously. Their lips met in a sweet, chaste kiss.

When they pulled apart, they actually took in their surroundings for the first time. "We...we're in the clearing. That rock..." Roxas said in wonder. "that's the rock where Cloud... where _I..._"

"I know." Axel said quietly.

"Axel..." Roxas said. "I feel so different now, and yet the same... I love you, and I just met you..."

"I feel the same." Axel whispered in his ear as he pulled the blonde close.

"I promise, we wont ever be pulled apart again." Axel said into Roxas' hair.

"Okay." Roxas said, content. After a few moments, he pulled out of the embrace. "We should head back... your friends might be worried. I know my brother will be." he glanced at his cell phone. "Seventeen missed text messages, I should say yes."

They walked from the forest clearing, hand in hand.

And for the rest of their lives, they never parted again.

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End Note- yeah, its a bit of a cheesy ending... but after five straight hours of working on this damn story, I kinda lost my mojo, yanno? But I didn't know how else to end it. And holy god, over 2500 words, without the Authors notes. This is ridiculous. Amanda better appreciate the things I do for her.

Something I found amusing: when I was spell checking, my computer wanted to autocorrect 'Lockheart' to 'blockhead'... which is amusing, because, well, its Tifa. Lolz.

Anyways, did you enjoy it? Let me know! Reviews are very much appreciated! And I make an effort to reply to every one!


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